Every October, it seems like all the movies coming out that are marketed as “Halloween” are classic horror. For those who dislike horror, Halloween movies seem limited, but that’s not the case. In reality, there are so many genres, such as dark comedy and supernatural romance, that are not as well-marketed during Halloween time. Each genre brings its own unique viewer experience for a Halloween film.

Horror

Horror, widely known as the classic Halloween movie genre, can be defined as movies with the intention of scaring or shocking the audience. The main goal of this movie is normally one thing… fear. These scenes incorporate a lot of startling moments, also known as jumpscares, to heighten the audience’s fear. While a central villain/monster typically serves as a main antagonist for the film, sometimes this threat could be more widespread, like aliens, disease or even zombies. Along with that, there is a set of main characters, or the protagonist, that fights against the antagonist. There is also another main story in a horror movie: the music. It is normally written with the idea of adding a lot of suspense to the scene it plays in, which adds to the overall viewer experience. There are many subgenres of horror, but the main subgenre is the slasher film. These are typically about a person stalking and later killing a person or a group of people. It is mainly set in the real world, as well. An example of a horror movie is “Jaws”, directed by Steven Spielberg. Other well-known slasher movies include Halloween, directed by John Carpenter, and Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham. All of these fit the classic, jump scare/fear factor that horror is known for.

Thriller/Psychological Thriller

Thrillers are a genre of movies normally classified as suspense movies. They often are created to evoke a sense of suspense in the viewer, rather than outright scaring them with jumpscares, like horror tends to do. In other words, they try to keep you on the edge of your seat. Filmmakers do this by delaying an event that viewers know will happen eventually. Another difference between horror and thriller films is that the protagonist comes back during the sequel in a thriller, rather than the antagonist in a sequel, like in a horror movie. In thrillers, the main characters are in conflict with each other or an outside force, which can be concrete or abstract. What is unique to thrillers is that they can be attached to nearly any other genre, like spy movies, action/adventure movies, or even crime movies. Much like horror, there are subgenres of this. One of the most famous is psychological thrillers, which are categorized as suspense movies with a focus on the protagonist’s psyche. Whether the character is physiologically stressed or has a distorted mentality, it focuses on their viewpoint of the story. Some examples of thriller movies are “Get Out”(2017), directed by Jordan Peele, or “The Silence of the Lambs”(1991), directed by Jonathan Demme. A couple famous psychological thriller films include Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky, and the 6’th Sense, directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Supernatural

The most common understanding of supernatural films is movies that incorporate supernatural elements, such as gods, ghosts, or miracles. Most often, supernatural films are based on religion, and can be crossed with many other genres like romance, horror, comedy, etc. Along with that, these movies aren’t necessarily meant to scare the audience, but rather to entertain. However, there are some supernatural movies designed to scare the audience. Some famous examples of supernatural films are Tarot, directed by Spencer Cohen and Anna Halberg, or Ghostbusters, directed by Ivan Reitman.

Mystery

Mystery movies are movies that revolve around a central problem in the form of a crime, mainly murder, that the main characters have to solve. This can be solved by detectives, a team of people, or even a normal person taking on the challenge. The mystery solver will use clues to investigate the mystery and, in the end, figure out who committed the crime. A notable example is “Knives Out”(2019), directed by Rian Johnson. Sherlock Holmes, originally a famous book, is a fictional mystery detective, with countless movies made about his stories.

Children’s Films/Comedy

Halloween Comedy movies are intended for laughs from the audience. However, they differ from regular comedy films, as Halloween comedy movies have more elements associated with Halloween. This can include witches, ghosts, or spirits. Of course, these movies may not be as scary as other genres because the movie is intended for laughs, not screams. This can also overlap with Kids’ Halloween movies, as they are not as scary as other Halloween movies. They are also more entertaining in other aspects, like humor or characters. A prime example of these movies is “Hocus Pocus”, directed by Kenny Ortega. This movie is a mix of kids and comedy because it is both funny and entertaining, and also includes Halloween elements: witches. Along with that, it is not scary and definitely has more laughs than screams. An example of this genre includes “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Coraline”, both directed by Henry Selick. Both of these movies are intended for children, as they aren’t the scariest. They have more of a spooky feel than a scary plot. However, both of these movies are recommended for older kids, like ages 8-12, because they might be perceived as scary by younger kids.

Fall Shows/Movies

Beyond horror and mystery, there are other movies and shows that capture the autumn spirit. Some of these shows also incorporate mystery, or horror elements, categorizing them with Halloween. For example, Stranger Things doesn’t directly have anything to do with Halloween or fall, but due to its themes of horror, mystery, and the supernatural, it can be perceived as a fall/Halloween show. The show’s popularity during Halloween is noticeable in themed costumes and decoration, which shows the strong correlation to the season. Another show associated with fall is Gilmore Girls. Though this show follows the main characters throughout all four seasons of a year, most people think of it as a fall show because of its cosy atmosphere, academic undertone, and that the opening episodes take place in the fall.

The diversity of Halloween entertainment stretches far beyond traditional horror, offering many genres such as cozy mysteries, comedic children’s movies, and even supernatural movies. No matter the preference, there will always be something autumn themed for everyone, scary movie lover or not!